Mark Whitehead 28 November 2018

Council chief says on YouTube: 'I'm sorry about bin chaos'

A council leader has gone online to apologise to residents over chaos caused by a reorganisation of bin collections.

Richard Cornelius, leader of Barnet Council in north London, said in a YouTube video: 'I would like to apologise to the people who have been inconvenienced in the borough'.

He said the council had now 'turned a corner' and was working hard to fix the problems.

It follows complaints that some residents had not had a collection since the beginning of November when crews were allocated new routes.

One resident in the Tory-run borough which has hit the headlines over its radical privatisation initiatives, said online: 'Roads have been clogged in rush hour by bin lorries, pavements littered with wheelie bins left out and overflowing.'

In the video Cllr Cornelius says: 'We’re working to get it right and I believe we have turned a corner and that we will start to start to see an improvement in the service this week.

'We had to do this because it's not been done for many, many years and it's simply become unfair in the way the work was allocated between various crews.

'We make 359,000 collections of bins every week, it's a huge number, but even a small percentage can have a huge impact on people.

'We're working hard to get it right and I believe we've turned a corner now.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner